Trip to Your Heart - A Hockey Fanfiction

I'm Fine

Robert and I sat quietly in the cab on the way back to the hotel. The city was quiet at the early hour of the day, so the driver decided to try to talk to us, "So, son, you're a little beat up there, I see. Your little lady must be tougher than she looks."

Robert grinned down at me, "She's a tough cookie, but she didn't do this to me."

"She's taking care of you, then?"

"She is," Robert reached over and patted my knee and I smiled back at him before yawning.

"Well, you're one of the lucky ones. I remember when my Maggie used to take care of me..." He continued to talk the whole rest of the way home, but I was beginning to doze off.

Robert shook my lightly when we reached the hotel, "Stella, we're here." I blinked awake and staggered out of the car after Robert; I was exhausted. We walked in with Sidney and Beau. Robert let me into the room before him and he stayed out in the hall to talk with the guys again for a minute. I staggered over to the bed I had used last time and collapsed on top of it.

I felt myself being lifted up in strong, warm arms and then set down between the sheets of a bed. My eyelids fluttered open and I saw Robert looking down at me. He smiled softly and brushed my hair out of my face. "I thought you'd be cold," he whispered.

"You're warm," I murmured in my sleepy haze.

Robert chuckled a little and I smiled. I yawned and sat up, more awake now that he had moved me. I patted the space next to me and he sat down hesitantly. He was only wearing a pair of pajama pants and his thick hair was wet from his recent shower. It dripped on his chest and back and ran down over the smooth skin. We studied each other in silence and I noticed that the bruises from the fight covered his whole torso. There were bruises on his neck and ribs, spreading across his chest like shadows that wouldn't go away in the light. I reached out tentatively and traced my finger tips across them. Robert shivered at the contact, but didn't move away. "Did he do this to you? All of this?" I looked up into his deep brown eyes, feeling tears pooling in my green and blue ones.

"They're not that bad. They don't hurt anymore," he shrugged.

I traced up his neck to the ones on his face, "I'm so sorry."

"Stell..." He whispered.

"God, if I hadn't come when Sidney had asked, this wouldn't have happened to you," a tear slipped from the corner of my eye and Robert moved to wipe it away.

"It's not your fault. He hated us before he knew you-"

"But I made it worse. I feel like this is my fault-"

"No, it isn't, Stella. It's my fault. I set him off. I kept chirping and it got to him. Please don't cry," he moved closer and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

"You don't deserve this," I whispered, "I've been nothing but a burden. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Stella. I've enjoyed spending time with you. And I'm glad you came," his hair was dripping onto my shirt. I slid my arms around him and held him tight to me.

We sat like that until Robert yawned into my hair and a small laugh bubbled out of my throat, "I should let you get to sleep; you've had a long night." I went to let him go, and he released me a second later.

"I guess it has been a long day," he flashed a crooked smile and went over to his bed.

I settled in under the covers, "Goodnight, Robert."

"Goodnight, Stella."

My eyelids fell shut and the hotel scenery was quickly replaced by the images in my dreams.